Caroleans - Citizendia

Caroleans carrying the dead Charles XII

Caroleans (Swedish: karoliner) were the soldiers of the Swedish kings Charles XI and Charles XII. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. Charles XI (Karl XI 24 November 1655old style &ndash 5 April 1697old style was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death in an unruly period in

Swedish allotment system

The Caroleans soldiers were the soldiers of the yearly Swedish allotment system. The allotment system (indelningsverket ruotujakolaitos was a system used in Sweden for keeping a trained army at all times It was Charles XI who drove through the necessary reforms in the Swedish army to raise the Carolean army. Charles XI (Karl XI 24 November 1655old style &ndash 5 April 1697old style was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death in an unruly period in The Caroleans' tactics were to strike hard and be fearless; they also upheld strict discipline, which over the long course of a 20 year long war proved to be both successful and necessary.

It is said about Charles XII that "he could not retreat, only attack or fall". The same goes for his soldiers. In the Swedish army tactics of that time retreat was never covered. Troops were obligated to attack or fight where they stood; a military doctrine, that with the advantage of hindsight might have proven a bit rash.

Uniforms

The Carolean uniform was among many variants of the Swedish Standard Uniform introduced by Charles XI. A uniform is a set of standard Clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity Charles XI (Karl XI 24 November 1655old style &ndash 5 April 1697old style was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death in an unruly period in The great coats were blue with yellow cuffs. A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat is a large overcoat typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the elements The breeches were white, and the vest yellow. They wore tricorne hats or a special cap called a Karpus. The tricorne (also tricorn, tri-cornered hat or three-cornered hat) is a style of Hat that was popular during the late 17th century They were equipped with carbines (short muskets), rapiers, grenades, et cetera.

The Carolean army consisted of different units such as;

Cavalry regiments
Infantry regiments
Grenadier regiments
Artillery regiments

The army also included a special unit called the Livdrabanterna (Royal Life Guard Corps). The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists A grenadier (derived from the word Grenade) was originally a specialized soldier first established as a distinct role in the mid to late 17th century for the throwing of grenades Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine This was a special unit made up of some 100 men. It was under the personal command of King Charles XII, for which he was named captain. To become a private in the corps you had to attain the rank of Captain in the regular army. The king's second in command was a Colonel with the title of Kaptenlöjtnant (Lieutenant Captain). Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country This corps fought to the bitter end, and some of its veterans carried Charles XII's coffin on its arrival to the capital for the burial in 1719. A coffin (also known as a casket in North American English) is a funerary Box used in the display and containment of deceased remains – either for ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the

Swedish allotment system

Uniforms

See also